Briefcase Blog – John Bowie – Being in the legal jobs business these days is about as rewarding as a PR man acting for Kim Jong II. The redundancy news is so bad that firms are now actually cutting previously announced redundancy packages, as is the case with CMS Cameron McKenna in London. The scene in London is one of devastation, according to a Sydney recruiter I spoke to this week. Young lawyers seeking their OE will not be hurrying to fill any vacant seats over there for a while as UK firms announce redundancies left and right. Linklaters are facing a massive multi-million pound compensation bill to laid-off partners (given their ₤1 million-plus earnings) and a whole barristers’ chambers has collapsed. Nearer home, DLA Phillips Fox have completed a strategic review resulting in further job losses, mainly in Australia where a further 20 fee earners and 23 support staff are to go. Flexible working arrangements are already in place at the firm, as they are with other practices and even recruiters. Recruitment firms are cutting placement fees here and in Australia working on a four-day basis in some cases. See: London Legal Jobs
